The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1887-01-21
LITTLE CHARLIE.

Ii L LIZ CdAKLIE.
It was gloomy half-lighted attic-room
in tenement house.
Not pleasant place to die in, and per-
haps it was just as well that poor Phoebe
Wells, in her restless delirium, fancied
herself back in the sweet scented orchard
at home.
Meanwhile child Of four years old.
with his round face besmeared with dirt.
and his faxen curls tightly matted to
gether with neglect, sat coiled up in
windOw-seat, playing with n headless
wooden-horse and singing softly to him
self. What did little Charlie know Of
death?
Sure. It's wanderin' she is" said one
OF the women who were sitting in the
room 90 and enough to tire the patience
Of the blessed saints themselves, sitting
here. There's the bit OF a letter she
began TO write and hadn't strength to
finish. What shall we do with ity"
81 Burn it, shortly returns a wfiukled
old haE, who was already busy in turning
over the slender store Of linen in the
worn haiT-trrEnk to find something fit
ting for q Shr1ud; lit no use to any
body ROW, an she can't spake reasonable
as 10 whore it is to 60. Yes. yes, honey,
l know" as Phube stretched out her
atteuuated hands with a wistful cry Of,
"CAarlie-vouIl take Charlie home"
sure. am It's that we will. said the
old woman chucllling. We've got
nothin else to do, my fine lady, an
lots o money to spare, eXcuTsioning
round the country! Lie still. dearw
But still she cried "Charlie-Charlie" {"
and the younger woman lifted the little
creature, still clinging to his wooden
horse, on to the bed. Charlie opened
his blue eyes and began to cry.
Mamma, what makes you look so
stranger"
CI-1S H. ~, 20 ,Io,a H., - = -
with a shuddering sigh, his cheeks
against hers, his tangled Curls ming
ling with her dishevelled black tresses.
Oh, my baby, cannot go and leave
you-I cannot ="
The death-rattle in her throat inter
ruptcd all further attempts at speech.
There were one or two incOherent muir
muring souuds-that was ail-and so
poor Phoebe Wells died,
They took little Charlie away bewil-
dered and terrified and dispatched
someone for the "pauper's coffin
which was to enfold the poor creatures
last remains.
Shes got no friend
Dennis, ''an' it's but fair,
trouble we've had. Nora
should divide the little sh,
Its me ought to ha'
clothes an things, said N
" You never came a-nigf
two days"
well, an it's no mC.y ,.an .o.,l,
Norah, dear" said the Irishwomcn
smoothly; AN you goin' TO he mar
ried III a month. You kapc the clothes.
an welcome. and I'll have the bit Of
a boy; he's just the child I want for
begSin', since they took poor little Bar
ncy OTOOle away, worse luck to en-
Come along, child, an stop that cryiu' or
it'll be he worse for ycz. Did yc want
taste o Mother DennisS Strap:
Charlie followed his rough guide,
frightened into trembling si5!.1ace
Poor little creature il was well that
he was not cid enough to realise the ter
rible fate now opening before him.
90 Iez wouldn't belav it, an him 50
young, said Mrs. Dennis triumphautly,
but he's the best litter in all the
childreni See there, Mike DooIcy, two
handkechers an a snuf-bOx, let alone
the two apples from the peddIer's stand,
an an ash-bOx hall full Of iliGaut
paPer-rags. Give him drop @ yer beer.
Nike. an ye shall have baked potaties
an pigs -trotters for your supper,
dariutn
This was one Of Charles lucky days.
Sometimes he came home, blue with
cold. pennyless, and without booty Of
any kind; and then Mrs. Dennis was
as liberal in the use of the strap, and
what is called ''the rough side OF her
tongue as she was in her rewards.
'' I'll run away when I'm big enough 20
resolved the little si1-yea r-Old hero.
many a night as he lay on his straw
pallet, with half-a-dozen other puny
wretches as miserable as himself,
watching the peaceful stars shining
through the rafters overhead.
Z" Mrs. Dennis says nay mammals
name was Bridget Lanigan. but it
wasn't; it was PhGbel She told me
so once; and l had a wOoGeu-hOrSe
TO play with, and I used To say my
prayers at night. 1 can't remember
EN- now; and Pat Eeelan says they're
all trash-and-aud-
So little Charlie dropped of to sleen.
az fOrloTn little wretch as night
brooded over with her peaceful pro-
tecting wings Of starry darkness.
But Charley did not run away. In
the first place. there was nowhere to
run to, and Charlie was sufficient of
conservative to remain quietly when
he was sure of shelter and daily bread
TO eat; not always that, however, unless
Mrs. Dennis was in good humOr.
Then, child as he was be felt himself
to be r sort Of pariah in the outer
world, his tiny hand against every mans,
and every mans against him.
Such was the state of affairs, one De
cember night, when our little hero came
wailiHg home with purple checks and
chilled fingers and toes, concious that he
had nothing to plead why he should not
be sent supperless to bed.
But, to his astOnishment Mrs. Dennis
was all motherly affability, and Mike
Dooley himself took him between his
knees in front of the blazing fire and
helped TO chafe his hands.
Mike, in general, being as brutal n
rufiian as ever came in contact with the
law, Charlie could not imagine what it
all meant.
Its two old maids Of en- Hvin' all
alone, said Mrs. Dennis, resuminc the
conversation where it had been broken
of at Charles entrance; "and there's n
closet full Of old plate, an Nuruh
says-NOrah cleaned them, yeZ knows
the staircase windy, openln' on the
back street, would lot a gOod-sized cat
in between the bars, and where a cat
can 60 our Charlie can. Wouldn't vez
like that, Charlie dear. to help crack a
crib?"
Charlie stared vacantly into the fire.
and munched his crust OF stale bread.
All yen have to do will he to creep
in atween daylight an dark, honey, and
hide away like q mouse. Eorah says
there's an illigant place under the
turn o the back stairs, Just whore
you get in almost, and YOU can lie
there as still as kitten until they've
gone to bed, and then, sure. it'll toe
aisy to steal out and unbolt the base
ment-door, and Mike and mel hc
you shall have hrand-new 81 il Of
clothes, like Mickey Warren's, wild Eould
buttons on livery same"
Charles eyes brightened somewhat.
There you see he's all right said
Mrs. Dennis, nodding her head triumph
antly at her coadjutor Sure it's a
pleasure to dale wild the likes Of him